


not that we're scared (it’s just that it's delicate)

by interstellarbeams



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Committed Relationship, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Living Together, Unplanned Pregnancy, as fluffly as these two damaged people can get i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstellarbeams/pseuds/interstellarbeams
Summary: Dani takes a pregnancy test and isn’t sure how to deal with the results.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	not that we're scared (it’s just that it's delicate)

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short little piece inspired by a prompt. Thanks to K for asking me to write this and Brightwell for being so cute and inspiring.
> 
> prompt: **54\. Why’s there a pregnancy test in the trash?**
> 
> Title is from _Delicate_ by Damien Rice. 
> 
> Unbeta’d, any and all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated! 💕

Dani found it funny when they moved in together, watching Malcolm try to fit the bits and pieces of his life in their new apartment on 33rd and Park. It certainly wasn’t as large as his former apartment but it wasn’t as small as the shoebox she lived in in the Bronx. He had grumbled a little about how he had to store his weapons collection in a storage center, because there wasn’t much storage in the new apartment and Dani hadn’t been thrilled about decorating her living room with ancient weaponry. Dani had reminded him how state of the art and secure his storage container was and her logic had placated him. 

His shampoo was stuck next to her conditioner in the shower now and his toothbrush joined hers in the cup on the sink. His white dress shirts lined up next to the few jewel tone dresses she owned in the small bedroom closet and his five hundred dollar dress shoes crowded her sixty dollar motorcycle boots on the rack below. 

Sharing space was apparently new to him — he had had his own apartment since he graduated college and hadn’t shared a serious relationship with anyone in about four years, before they got together. But Malcolm was surprisingly laissez faire when it came to learning her habits and how she preferred the laundry washed. Not that he had much experience, he had a cleaning service and housekeeper who was responsible for laundry and cleaning his former apartment. No wonder it had always looked so spic and span.

He had tried to convince her to hire someone to clean the apartment but she had turned him down — she was a tough girl who had grown up in the Bronx and a cop — she was used to getting her hands dirty, in fact, she preferred it. 

But she didn’t always keep the place as clean as a housekeeper would have. She worked, she didn’t have all the time in the world to straighten and clean, mop and sweep, wash and dry. 

The bathroom probably suffered the most when it came to her ministrations but she found the available cleaners to be astringent and the bathroom ventilation wasn’t the best so she slacked on it a little bit. 

Dani should have tossed the bathroom trash in the large kitchen can this time, but she was overwhelmed and instead of scooping up the grocery bag from the small receptacle, she had slumped to sitting on one side of their shared bed and propped her head in her hands.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, thoughts racing, when the front door opened and she was forced to face what she was singularly failing to come to terms with. 

“Dani?” Malcolm called out her name and she considered finding a place to hide and forget her responsibilities for a while, but then his footsteps were in the hall and his head popped around the corner of the bedroom door. “What’s going on?”

Dani knew better than to say ‘nothing’ because he already realized something was wrong with her but she shrugged anyways and ducked her head. 

“What’s going on?” 

For some reason, Dani felt tears burn her eyes and she wanted to cry because she didn’t like to cry, and she found her own mired feelings more confusing. She tucked a curl behind her ear and secured her arms more tightly around her waist. Hoping against hope that he would take her silence for what it was and leave her alone.

She must have gotten lucky because he didn’t move any closer and his footsteps retreated down the hall.

Her reprieve was short lived when he slowly walked back into the room. He stood there in silence and she took that as a bad sign and turned to glance at him.

His face was whiter than she had ever seen it and his blue eyes which were usually alert and always full of questions, were blank. 

His face alarmed her and Dani forgot all about her own shock as she stood and moved to clasp his hands. 

“Malcolm?” 

“Why’s there a pregnancy test in the trash?” He suddenly blurted out, as his face returned to its normal coloring and his mind jumpstarted like a car engine.

Dani bowed her head, finding the interweaving of their fingers more interesting than responding to his question. 

“Dani… if you’re worried about this… you know you don’t have to be.” Malcolm’s voice was soft and sweet, overwhelming her own emotions and she leaned into him, reveling in the feeling of his steady arms wrapping around her. 

“I don’t know how to feel about it.” She spoke, breathing in his cologne and the expensive French laundry soap that he insisted on using. 

“That’s okay. I mean, I don’t think I ever imagined I would become a father after what my dad put me through…” She felt the tenseness of his arms around her and she moved to smooth her hand down his back. “But I’m not against it.”

“I know it will probably bring back all sorts of memories for you. I— I‘ve been sitting here trying to decide how I feel ever since I saw the little plus sign on the test. I had a rough childhood too and I’m worried that I won’t know how to be a good mom, but I’m willing to try if you are.” She tilted her head up to catch his eye for the first time since he had come home.

She had let her feelings out about motherhood and now it was up to him to answer. 

“Hey, we would both be new to it together. And I’m one hundred percent certain that we would be amazing at it… just like we’re partners in life and in crime.”

“Oh god. How’d I know you were going to go cheesy?” Dani laughed, slipping her hand up behind his neck and leaning her forehead against his.

“So we’re doing this?” She asked, a strange feeling like excitement bubbling in her stomach — she just hoped it wasn’t morning sickness, she had already experienced her own share and it was not fun.

“We’re doing this.” Malcolm’s blue eyes lit up with happiness like a blowtorch and she kissed him fiercely. 

There was nothing they couldn’t do, _together_.


End file.
